Wichita eagle., 1887-08-10
EASILY INTERVIEWED.
STRATEGY USED BY A REPORTER
TO APPROACH CONKLING.

Ben Butler Said to Be the Most Salts.
factory Interviewee in the Country.
Henry Ward Beecher's Kindness to the
Reporter.
There are some men in public life who
have the reputation Of being non interview
able. Roscoe Conkling used to be so classi-
fed when he was in the senate Knowing
that to be the case, thought would try my
luck with him. 1t was On train going west
from Harrisburg, Pa, to the great Chicago
convention of 80. which was to, but did not,
nominate Grant for third term. Conkling
had a special car all to himself 1t was
guarded at each end by stout colored porters,
with orders to let no one in. Mr.. Arthur
(afterward presidenH and Mr.. James latter.
ward postmaster generaD were the only men
In the car with the great man. To one Of the
colored sentinels on the car platform 1 went
and said: Can / see Mr. ConklingF' mo
sab" said the porter, Che gave petickler or.
ders to let nobody in" "Ah," said I, "but he
didn't know L was on the train-just give him
this card, please" This and quarter-no
colored car porter can resist quarter-car.
ried my card to the great man.
On the card had written: Grant dele
gate to Chicago"-which was bit Of strate.
gic fiction.
1t did the business. ] was called in, shaken
BY the hand, and invited to eat fruit. while
the imperial senator from the imperial stats
posted me all up on the prospects of Grant, as
he viewed them When he got through
said: 'Our friends in Boston would b. de
lighted TO know how confident you feel, Mr.,
Senator-have you any objection TO be
quoted in a newspaper Dispatch mot the
least" he replied, for by this time he was of
his dignity and almost as human as Mr..
Cleveland. And SO succeeded in standing
up the naughty man for an interview, which
was sent On to Boston as fast as a badly jolt
ing train would permit me to scratch it off.
In this case it is certain that the sight of q
note book at the outset or even an admission
that desired an interview for paper, would
have prevented my talking with him at ALL
GEN BENJAMIN F. BUTLER
Gen Benjamin F. Butler l regard as, on
the whole, the most satisfactory interviewer
i'll the country. He, too, has the reputation
OF being difficult of access. 1t is not true in
the sense Of his being lofty or imperious, la
Conkling Uncle Ben is one of the most
genial gentlemen in the United States-to
newspaper men who "use him square" and
don't abuse his confidence But woe betide
the interviewer who undertakes to publish a
confidential talk, which he has agreed not to
use, and then go near Uncle Ben for another
favor. lie viii not get it, but he may get
large piece of Uncle Ben's mind First and
last the general has given me probably g
dozen or more interviews, and they were very
easily taken. Tie general does all the work
for you himself. He frames the questions
and answers both, does it at an easy pace, sc
that it can be taken down without straininp
your stenoSraphlc powers, and never fails to
give you a readable, entertaining column OF
two columns, or whatever length he NAV talk
to.
| have heard it said that Uncle Ben draws
the line at interviewers connected with
papers opposed to him, but don't believe it
In my own case began reporting on Dem
ocratic paper when he was a Republican and
passed to the staff of a Republican paper
when he became a Democrat but ALWAYS
found a warm welcome at his house or his
office, and an interview if he felt like giving
one.
HENRY WARD BEECHER
The only other man who ever conducted a.
interview after Buffers method. in nv ex.
perience, was the late Henry Ward Beecher.
AT the time of his controversy over tbs doc.
trine of everlasting punishment, somewhere
about the fall of 1877, my friend Mai. Pond
gave me an introduction to Mr. Beecher fol
the purpose of trying to get an interview out
of him in answer to the attacks of DR.. Storr,
and Others. 1t was at Music hall, one even.
ing after a lecture. "Come round to the
Evans house in the morning and 90 with me
toward Dover, n. II. where lecture to-mor.
row night, and III talk for you said the
famous preacher. Depend upon it l was
there. Working on a sixth rate daily at a slim
salary, talk with Beecher that would sell
readily for $50, or even 500, was not to be
sneezed at.
Well, went and met the great man, and
together we boarded the train for Dover As
soon as started, Mr. Beecher said: Now,
sir, if you are ready" / thought he meant
me to fire away with a question But he
stopped me right off "You write short
hand" "Yes." said l. "All right; then
please put this question: and Mr.. Beecher
proceeded, exactly as Gen. Butler does, to
put bis own questions and answer them, until
he had reeled off two columns and half OF
The New York Herald, to which great paper
sent the interview. / remember the fiaring
headline was "Beecher on He'll, " but l remem-
her with still more JOY the two handsome
figures in the left hand corner of The Her.
AIDS check.-James w. Clarke in The
Writer.